1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a heat sensitive electronic component, such as solid tantalum capacitor, solid aluminum capacitor, diode or transistor, which is broken down upon abnormal heat generation of its own or under excessive thermal load from outside.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The solid tantalum capacitor is known as a polar component having an anode and a cathode. Therefore, if a tantalum capacitor is mounted on a printed circuit board with inverse polarity, it will generate a lot of heat and thereby break down. Further, a solid tantalum capacitor with a safety fuse is designed to break down when the fuse is melt-cut upon overcurrent or overheat.
However, such a breakdown of the solid tantalum capacitor is not visually recognizable. Thus, if the tantalum capacitor is thermally broken down after mounting to a printed circuit board, it is extremely laborious to locate the broken capacitor among various components on the same circuit board.
A similar problem also holds true with respect to diodes and solid aluminum capacitors which are also polar and break without any change in appearance. Further, transistors are also known to abnormally generate heat and thereby break down without any change in appearance.